Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg.

This week, I'm wrapping up the season with the final episode (#4 before my short break, featuring singer-songwriter Emily James. Emily is an incredibly talented artist and storyteller, known for her emotionally honest songwriting, relatable lyrics, and intimate live performances. Earlier this summer, I had the chance to see her perform in Brooklyn and I was genuinely struck by the sense of community her songs have created among her fans. It made this conversation even more special.

Be sure to check out Emily's debut album, Summer Nostalgia, available now, and follow her journey through the links in the show notes. As for me, I'll be taking the month of August off to recharge and work on what's next for the podcast, but I'll still be sharing plenty of content on social media, so I'd love for you to follow along there.

As always, thank you so much for listening and I'll see you soon.

Outro Music: Summer on Ice - Emily James

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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg.

This week, I'm joined by my good friend and talented musician, Ian Abels, to talk about his new project, The Level, and its debut EP, Technocrats. Ian and I have been friends for nearly a decade, brought together by a shared love of live music and indie rock. It was really incredible to sit down and talk about the creative process behind Technocrats and everything that led to this moment. After nearly a decade of friendship and countless concerts together, getting to interview Ian about a project of his own on a music podcast that I host and produce was incredibly special.

You can stream Technocrats wherever you listen to music, or using the below link, and be sure to follow The Level using the social links below. .Thanks so much for listening, and I'll catch you next time.

The Level

The Level IG

You Had to Be There

Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we take a deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy.

Bre kicked off 2026 with the release of The Alchemist, an introspective and beautifully crafted album centered on collaboration, self-love, and personal growth. Throughout both her music and our conversation, Bre offers a thoughtful perspective on navigating life's complexities, capturing the highs, the lows, and everything in between with remarkable honesty. In our conversation, Bre shares an honest look at her creative process, offering insight into the vulnerability, intention, and collaboration behind her songwriting.

Be sure to check out The Alchemist and Bre’s journey through the links shared below, and follow along with the podcast @uhadtobetherepod on IG, TikTok and, Substack. Thanks so much for listening; I’ll catch you next time.

Listen to The Alchemist

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This week, I'm honored to be joined by all four members of one of my favorite bands of the past decade, Temples. The English rock band blends influences from the '60s and '70s with a modern psychedelic sound that's made them a standout act in today's music landscape.

Ahead of the release of their fifth studio album, BLISS, out June 26, we took a trip down memory lane to discuss the band's origins as a project between friends in 2012, their creative evolution over the last decade, and the journey that's brought them to this next chapter.

If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to check out Temples and pre-save BLISS using the link below. Thanks so much for listening. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram and TikTok @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Pre-save BLISS

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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m thrilled to welcome Evan Cartwright, drummer of the post-punk band Cola from Montreal. We chat about the band’s new release, Cost of Living Adjustment, out now, and Evan takes us behind the scenes of how the band’s separate musical lives came together to form a sound that blends post-punk edge, minimalism, and intelligence.

Be sure to check out Cola’s music and upcoming tour dates below, and follow the pod on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod. Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.

Cola on IG: https://www.instagram.com/band_cola/

Listen to 'Cost of Living Adjustment': https://found.ee/colaband

Welcome back to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg.

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nashville-based soul artist Jonathan Plevyak. With vocals and a style that feel pulled straight from a vintage jukebox, Jonathan blends classic soul influences with timeless themes of love, belonging, and self-discovery. We talked about his evolving sound, the nostalgia woven throughout his music, and his upcoming releases, including his newest single, “Turn Me On.”

Be sure to check out the curated playlist Jonathan made to accompany this episode below, along with his socials and where you can find his music.

Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.

Jonathan’s Playlist

Jonathan’s IG

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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. I’m so excited to share my interview with Jo, the frontwoman of the band JVK. They describe their sound as “pushing the boundaries of the rock genre through their empowering, retro glam-rock/dark-pop sound”, and their new album release, Pop Culture Affair, proves that to be true. It’s a super fun record that feels both nostalgic and futuristic, and it was so fun getting to talk to Jo about her songwriting process, what it’s like getting on stage, and all of the incredible things in store for JVK this year.

Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to check out JVK’s album Pop Culture Affair out now, everywhere. Jo has also curated a playlist alongside the episode, which you can find in the show notes. Catch you next time.

Stream Pop Culture Affair

Jo’s Playlist

JVK’s Instagram

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Welcome back to You Had to Be There! While I'm frolicking in Coachella Valley this coming weekend, I'm happy to kick off this week's episode featuring Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Caroline Romano. Caroline started writing emotionally driven songs at just 13 years old, even performing at a college bar open mic with her parents’ support. Since then, she’s grown into a versatile artist who moves seamlessly between misty-eyed ballads and fiery alt-rock anthems.

If you’re drawn to the cinematic storytelling of artists like Gracie Abrams or Holly Humberstone, her new EP, It Took Me Falling, captures that same feeling: the vulnerability, the intensity, and those fleeting butterfly moments of meeting someone new.

Make sure to check out Caroline’s EP, which is out now everywhere, along with the playlist she curated to go with our conversation. Thanks so much for listening and I’ll catch you next time.

Stream It Took Me Falling

Caroline’s Playlist

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Imagine your favorite music festival just dropped its lineup. You pull up the poster, scanning the names, planning your weekend. Now imagine that same lineup, filtered by gender. Suddenly, whole sections start to disappear. Headliners shrink. Entire days feel emptier than they should.

That’s not hypothetical; it’s the reality Book More Women is working to change.

This week, I spoke with Abbey Carbonneau, the founder and executive director of Book More Women, an organization that holds music festivals accountable and drives real progress toward gender-balanced lineups.

Book More Women is in the final stretch of their crowdfunding campaign, raising funds to move from tracking the issues to actually building solutions through festival partnerships, data-driven research, and new initiatives that create real accountability across the industry.

You can learn more about Book More Women and learn how to support the incredible work they do, and check out Abbey’s curated playlist below.

Support Book More Women

Book More Women IG

Abbey's Playlist

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Outro music:

Welcome back to another episode of You Had to Be There! This week, I’m so thrilled to share my interview with rising British soul musician, MT Jones. His sound pulls inspiration from the warmth of 60s and 70s classics with the texture of modern R&B and jazz. MT's sound is grounded in timeless songwriting, live instrumentation, and a voice that carries both vulnerability and power. We talk about how his career started, who inspires him, and what he’s learned along the way. His debut album, Joy, will be released March 20, and you won’t want to miss it.

In addition to his own music, be sure to check out MT’s curated playlist alongside this episode, as well as all of his music links, which you can find below. Thank you so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.

Presave Joy

MT Jones’ IG

MT Jones’ Playlist

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